Heel and heel-seat fitting



Dec. 31, 1935. w, ET AL 7 2,025,704

HEEL AND HEEL SEAT FITTING Filed Nov. 24, 1935 Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nnnr. AND HEEL-SEAT rrr'rmc.

William Roderick Barclay, Cyril Harry James, and William Isaac Bacon, Leicester, England,

assignors to United ShoeMachinery Corporation, Paterson, N. .L, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 24, 1933, Serial No. 699,576

In Great Britain December 16, 1932 9 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and is illustrated with reference to a shoe having a novel heel and heel-seat construction and to improvements in methods of fitting heels to shoes.

In United States Letters Patent No. 1,984,453. granted December 18, 1934-011 an application filed in the names of Bates, Barclay and Hazelton, there is described a method of shoemaking in which heels built up from lifts are trimmed to shape and are preferably scoured before atance with a feature of this invention the heel illustrated herein is rabbeted at its upper forward portion to provide a sole-supporting face or ledge which extends from one side of the heel to the other for a substantial distance rearwardly of the breast of the heel, and to provide shoulders which extend generally heightwise of theheel from the lateral portions of the rear end of the sole-supporting ledge and which'are concave forwardly of the heel. The sole-supporting ledge of the illustrated rabbet is concave in accordance with the transverse curvature of the shank portion of the shoe to which the heel is gagement with corresponding shoulders of the 5 rabbet adjacent to the sides of the heel before ,they yield slightly under pressure 'of the heel to engage portions of the'shoulders which are spaced from the sides of the heel. In such .a construction a closed joint between the respec- 50 tive abutments and shoulders is insured adjacent to the sides of the heel. During the heel-attaching operation the portion of the sole supported by the ledge of the rabbet is compressed between the heel and the shoe upper and is forced 55 toward the shoulders of the rabbet, thereby further insuring the formation of a closed joint between the heel and the sole:

The present invention in its method aspect comprises fitting an'uncovered or built-up heel to a shoecharacterized by forming a rabbet at 5 the upper forwardportion of a heel, reducing the heel-seat portion of the soleto form a tongue shaped forengagement within the attaching face of the heel and to form'between the shank portion of the sole and the tongue-a filler portion 10 which is constructed and arranged for engagement within the rabbet and projects beyond the sides of the heel positioned upon the shoe, at-' taching the heel to the shoe, and trimming the projecting lateral margins of the filler portion 5 flush with the respective sides of the heel and jointing the heel and the shank portion of the sole.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention will now be described in 20' connection with the. accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, i e

Fig. 1 is a front view of a built-up heel, the upper forward portion of which has been rab- 25 beted to provide a sole-supporting ledge and a pair of sole-engaging shoulders extending above the rear lateral portions of the ledge;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the heel illustrated in Fig. 1; r 30 Fig. 3 is a plan view of the heel-seat portion of a shoe, the outsole of which has been trimmed to provide a heel seat which has been fitted to receive the heel shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of a finished 5 shoe illustrating the joint formed between the heel and the shoe;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of apparatus which may be advantageously used to form the rabbet in the heel shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the heel being rabbeted by the machine illustrated in Fig. 5.

The inventionis described with reference to a built-up heel zojprovidea with a rabbet 22 (Fig. 2) which is positioned between the attaching face 24 and the breastZG of the heel and comprises a sole-supporting surface or ledge 28 extending from one side of the heel to the other for a considerable distance rearwardly of the breast face 26 of the heel, and a-pair of shoulders 30 which extend generally heightwise of the heel from the rear end of the ledge 28. The shoulders '30 which serve to locate the heel 20 on a; shoe'3 2- are of decreasing height as they approach the median plane 33 (Fig. 1) of the heel and are spaced somewhat from each other by reason of the merging of the sole-supporting ledge with the attaching face 24 of the heel.

The rear and side surfaces of the illustrated heel have already been shaped and scoured by the use of machines such as those described in the above-mentioned United States Letters Patent No. 1,984,453. The shoulders 30, which are undercut, as indicated by the angle K (Fig. 4), do not extend at right angles to the median plane of the heel but each extends transversely of the heel in a curve and may be said to be concave forwardly of the heel as viewed from above, the base edges of such shoulders lying in a circular arc, as indicated by dotted lines AB, Fig.

2. The sole-supporting ledge 28 of the rabbet 22 is curved throughout the width of the heel, this being due to the fact that the arc AB, which extends along the base edges of the shoulders 30 lies in a plane which is disposed at an angle to the plane of the tread face 34.0f the heel. Accordingly,-the lateral portions of the base edges of the shoulders 30 are slightly higher than the inner portions of such base edges. The sole-supporting ledge 28 may be defined as cylindrical, and the shoulders 30 may be defined as being conical.

The heel-seat portion of the sole of the shoe to which the heel 20 is to be attached is trimmedto provide the fitted shoe illustrated in Fig. 3. The rear end of the sole is reduced to form a tongue 36, the margin of which is "skived to provide a beveled margin 38,. A filler portion is formed between the heel breast line .4! of the sole and the tongue 36, and terminates in planar surfaces or abutments 42 constructed and arranged for engagement with shoulders 30 re* spectively when the heel is attached to. the shoe, the abutments 42 being 'so positioned 'on the sole that the heel 20 may be readily located lengthwise of the shoe by placing it on the fitted heel seat of the shoe with the shoulders 30 in engagement with the abutments 42;.

Theoretically, the abutments 42 should be complemental to the shoulders 30 respectively, so

that when the heel 20 has been placed on the shoe but before it is permanently attached thereto a slight widthwise movement of the heel upon the heel-seat portion of the shoe may be effected to cause the heel to be oriented into proper angular position upon the heel seat, the shoulders 30 and the abutments 42 being kept in contact with each other along their entire extent during such movement. However, it has been found that when the abutments 42 are substantially planar they may be made in-practice to engage quite satisfactorily with the shoulders 20, the arrangement being such that the heel may be angularly adjusted into correct position should it in fact not be initially placed on the shoe in such position.

- The angle at. which the planar abutments 42 of the shoulder portions 40 are disposed to the median plane of the sole is such that when the heel is moved forwardly of the shoe into position the margins of the shoulders 30 first engage the abutments 42. forwardly of the .shoe causes the lateral abutments 42 of the filler portion 40 to yield slightly, thereby to permit the shoulders 30 of'the heel to engage the respective abutments 42 along substantially their entire extent. Such an 'arrangement further insures the formation of a closed joint between theshoulders 30 and the abutments 42 Continued movement of the heel distance lengthwise of. the shoe against the yielding pressure of the abutments 42 in order correctly to position the heel should the shoulders 5 '30 or the abutments 42 he slightly misplaced, while maintaing a close fit between the shoulders 30 and respective abutments 42 at points located adjacent to the sides of the heel.

The pressure under which the heel is attached 10 to the shoe causes the leather of the filler portion 40 to fiow and thus to be forced with considerable pressure against the shoulders 30 and this further insures the forming of a closed joint between the heel and the sole. 15

Although the illustrated heel is provided with a pair of shoulders 30 it will be clear that the two shoulders may, if desirable, extend to the median plane of the heel and form in effect a single shoulder which extends from one side of the heel 20 to the other,

An apparatus which may be efiectively used to rabbet the heel 20 is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and will now be described. In a head 44 of the machine a shaft 46 is journaled in suitable bear- 25 ings and is arranged to be driven. at a high rate of speed by a belt 48, a rotary cutter 50 being secured to the forward end of the shaft. The cutter 50 comprises a plurality of teeth 52 provided with. cutting edges 54 which lie in a conical 80 surface of a frustum of a cone, each of the cutting edges 54 of the teeth 52 extending to the base of the cone and being skewed in order to facilitate cutting. A work support is positioned adjacent to the cutter 50 and comprises a plate 56 G5 which may be adjusted to various positions, it being desirable when forming the rabbet 22 to arrange the plate 56 so that the plane of its heelsupporting surface 58 (Fig. 6) forms an angle of about 16 with the plane of rotation of the 40 cutter 50.

The plate 56 is mounted in the following man- 'ner. A bracket 82 projects forwardly froma colmay be adjusted with respect to the bracket in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutter 50 by turning an adjusting screw 50 68. Projecting forwardly from the casting 86 is a sleeve member I0 within which is supported a carrier I2 ,which normally occupies a fixed position with respect to the sleeve member 10 but which is constructed and arranged foradjust ment relatively to the sleeve member in the direction of the axis of the same upon an adjusting screw 14. v

The carrier 12 is bored .to receive a substantially vertical stem 16 which projects down- 60' wardly from a lug '18 secured tothe plate 56. The carrier 12 is split and a clamping screw 80 is provided for clamping the carrier 12 to the stem 16 so that the p1ate'56 may be placed in desired angular position with respect to the carrier I2. In order to adjust the plate 58 heightwise with respect to the cutter 50, the machine is provided with an adjusting screw 82 which may be turned after releasing the clamping screw 80.

To guide a heel over the work supporting face 58 of the plate 58, two work positioning fingers 84, 86 are adjustably secured to the plate 56, portions at the rar side of whichare bored to receive apair of substantially vertically disposed rods 88, 92. The rods 88, 80 are provided at their lower portions with opposed racks 82, 84 respectively and a pinion 96 carried by the plate 56 is constructed and arranged for engagement with the racks. The upper finger 84 is rigidly secured to the rod 88, the finger having a rearwardly extending lug through a holein which the rod 88 passes, a pin 98 being provided to lock the parts together. The lower finger 86 is secured to the rod 88 by a pin I88. The rod 88 is screw-threaded at its upper and lower portions and nuts I82 and I84 are provided in threaded relationwith such portions respectively. A compression spring I86 surrounds the rod 88 between the nut I84 and the bottom of the plate 58, the arrangement being such that by turning the nut I82 the fingers 84 and 86 are separated. It will be clear from the foregoing construction that the two fingers 84, 86 will yieldingly move equal distances in opposite directions. A small fibre block I88 is secured to the edge of the plate 56 nearest the cutter 58.

In order to use the above described apparatus to rabbet the upper forward portion of a heel, the heel is placed by the operator with its attaching face 24 against the heel supporting surface 58 of the plate 56 and its breast surface 26 facing the cutter 58; the heel lying between the fingers 84 and 86. The operator next moves the heel toward the cutter 58, keeping the rim of the attaching face of the heel pressed against the plate 56.. The fingers 84, 86 will have been initially adjusted so that the separation at their ends which are nearest the cutter 58 is somewhat less than the width of the heel. As the heel is moved toward the cutter 58, the fingers 84, 86 yield but serve properly to position the heel widthwise, the heel being so positioned thatits median plane passes through the axis of rotation of the cutter 58. The fibre block I88 projects slightly forwardly of the front surface 58 but is so curved that as the heel is moved toward the cutter 58 the concavity of the attaching face 24 allows it to pass over the fibre block I88, the block during such'movement supporting the heel. The heel is moved toward the cutter 58 by the operator until its progress is stopped by contact of the breast 26 of the heel with inwardly turned hook portions II8 of the fingers 84, 86. Before the heel is stopped, however, the forward upper corner of the heel will have moved past the lower base portion of the cutter 58. to rabbet the heel (Fig. 6)-.

It will be clear that the screws 68, I4 and 82 above mentioned are adjusted before operating upon the heel, in order to bring the plate 56 into correct relation with respect to the cutter 58. Thus, the screw 68 may be utilized to bring the plate 56 .toward the cutter so that the fibre block I88 is as close as permissible tothe cutter, the screw I4 having been utilized to adjust the plate 56 so that shoulders 38 of a desired height will be formed. The screw 82 adjusts the plate 56 lengthwise so that when the heel is presented to the cutter the heightwise median plane of the heel lies substantially in the plane of the axis of rotation of the cutter 58. The position of the hooked portions I I8 of the fingers 84, 86 controls the extent of the sole supporting surface 28 from the breast of the heel.

The forward parts of the opposing surfaces of the fingers 84, 86 are undercut so that, when the heel has been moved into position to be operated upon, the fingers prevent the heel from being lifted from the supporting face 56. By under- 86 as above described, it is necessary for the operator to move the heel-away from the cutter 58 before lifting the heel from the supporting face 28.

The sole of the shoe (Fig. 3) may conveniently be prepared to receive the heel illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 by the following operations. A tongue, which does not extend as far forwardly of the sole as the abutment surfaces 42, is formed upon the sole before the sole is applied to the shoe, by the use of a heel-seat fitting machine such as disclosed in British Letters Patent No. 305,276. After the sole has been secured to the shoe, the shoe is transferred to a heel-seat fitting machine such, for instance, as that described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,850,149, granted March 22, 1932, on an application filed in the name of George Hazelton. In the machine disclosed formed at correct positions by measuring the length of the heel in a heel gauge of the machine, which gauge automatically controls the path of movement of abutment forming cutters. The short tongue may also be elongated in the above machine. upon the shoe, it is permanently attached to the same by the use of a suitable heel attaching machine.

In order to insure a smooth joint between the heel 28 and the shank portion II2 of the sole, ithas been found desirable to form abutments 42 which are slightly wider than the heel. The projecting margins of the abutments 42 are thereafter trimmed down to the sides of the heel and are jointed with the shank portion II 2 of the in United States Letters Patent No 1,850,149 the abutments 42 may be automatically 2O After the heel has been positioned scoured as described in the above-mentioned United States Letters Patent No. 1,984,453. Satisfactory results have been obtained when practicing the present invention in relation to heels of which only a top piece H4 and one or two adjacent izfts are formed 'of leather, the remaining lifts being constructed of ordinary forms of fibre board used in heel making. Heels so constructed are advantageous since they are light and cheap to manufacture. In some cases it may be desirable to employ a heel in which, although the majority of the lifts are of board, the lift which actually contacts with the shoe bottom is of leather. It has been found, however, that satisfactory results may be obtained when the lift which is in contact with the shoe bottom is constructed of board.

The cutter 58 operates to out clean, well defined shoulders 38 on the heel when the lift is constructed of board as well as when such lift is constructed of leather. In some cases, where the lift in contact with the shoe upper is constructed of board, it has been found that with some varieties of board it is desirable, after the heel has been attached to the shoe, to subject the edge of the surface of such lift to a consolidating operation which consists in pressing the edge surface of the lift around its'periphery (except at the breast of the heel) against a rotating tool such, for example, as a smooth surface roller. This operation hardens the surface of the lift somewhat and tends to prevent any splitting or ledge extending for a substantial distance rearwardly of the breast of the heel throughout the width of the same, the ledge being bounded at its rear end by a shoulder which extends generally heightwise of the heel and the marginal portions of which are concave forwardly.

2. A heel provided with a rabbet at its upper forward portion, said rabbet comprising a solesupporting ledge extending from one side of the heel to the other fora substantialdistance rearwardly of the breast of the heel, and a pair of shoulders which extend generally heightwise of the heel from the lateral portions of the rear end of the ledge and which are concave forwardly of the heel.

3. A heel the forward portion of the attaching face of which is provided witha sole-supporting ledge which l extends for a substantial distance rearwardly of the breast of the heel throughout thewidth of the same, the ledgebeing bounded at its rear end by a pair of shoulders which extend generally heightwise of the heel and which are concave forwardly throughout their lateral extent and decreasein height as they approach the median plane of the heel.

4. A heel having a laterally curved sole-supporting ledge at the forward part of its attaching face, said ledge being positioned below the general plane of the rim of the attaching face, marginal portions of the rear end of the ledge being bounded by a pair of concave conical shoulders which extend generally heightwise of the heel and decrease in height as they approach .the median plane of the heel and which also terminate at the opposite sides of the heel respectively at points spaced from the breast of the heel.

5. A heel the forward portion of the attaching face of which is provided with a rabbet which extends for a substantial distance rearwardly of the breast of the heel and from one side of the heel to the other, said rabbet being defined by a concave cylindrical sole supporting surface and a concave conical shoulder which extends heightwise of the heel and decreases in height as it approaches the median plane: of the heel.

6. A heel having a rabbet formed at its upper forward portion, said rabbet including a solesupporting surface which extends for a substantial distance rearwardly of the breast of the heel throughout the width of the heel and including a pair of shoulders located at the rear end of the sole-supporting surface and extending generally heightwise of the heel, the shoulders being concave forwardly throughout their lateral extent as viewed from above.

7. A heel having a rabbet formed at its upper forward portion, said rabbet including a solesupporting surface which extends for a substantial distance rearwardly of the breast of the heel throughout the width of the same and including a pair of spaced undercut shoulders which extend generally heightwise of the heel from the rear end of the sole-supporting surface and which are concave forwardly throughout their extent.

8. That improvement in methods of shoemaking which consists in forming at the upper forward portion of a heel a rabbet extending from one side of the heel to the other for a considerable distance rearwardly of the breast of the heel, reducing the heel-seat portion of the sole of a shoe to form a tongue shaped and arranged for engagement within the attaching face of the heel and to form upon the sole a filler portion which is constructed and arranged to fit within .the rabbet and extends beyond the sides of the heel positioned upon the shoe, attaching the heel to the shoe, removing from the sole the lateral parts of the filler portion of the sole which project beyond the sides of the heel, and jointing the heel with the shank portion of the sole of the shoe.

91 A shoe including a heel having a rabbet formed at its upper forward corner, said rabbet comprising a sole-supporting surface which extends from one side of the heel to the other for a substantial distance rearwardly of the breast of the heel and comprising a pair of spaced undercut shoulders which extend -generally heightwise of the heel from the rear end of the sole-supporting surface and are concave forwardly throughout substantially their lateral extent, said shoe including a sole provided with a tongue overlying the attaching face of the heel and a filler portion positioned between the sole-supporting surface of the rabbet and the shoe upper, the filler portion being provided with planar abutments which extend heightwise and laterally of the sole and engage the shoulders respectively of the rabbet with greater pressure adjacent to the sides of the heel than at other portions spaced from said sides.

WILLIAM RODERICK BARCLAY. CYRIL HARRY JAMES. WILLIAM ISAAC BACON. 

